Auditor independence adds credibility to published financial reports and is therefore paramount in any external financial report audit. Using one of the cases listed below discuss the concept of independence, and the specific independence deficiencies relevant to your chosen case. - Enron - HIH Insurance - WorldCom Essay Purpose: The purpose of this assignment is twofold:  to use a real world case to demonstrate an understanding of the concepts associated with auditor independence covered in the unit; and  to demonstrate capability in academic essay writing. Essay requirements:  The essay is to be written in the style of a formal (ie. academic) essay. For further information on formal essay writing please refer to: o Fleet, W., Summer, J. & Smith, B. 2006, Communication Skills Handbook for Accounting, John Wiley & Sons Australia, Milton, Queensland.  You MUST ONLY refer to quality/credible references – that is research published in: scholarly accounting and business journals; government and accounting/auditor firm websites &/or textbooks. The quality of journals can be assessed by reference to the Australian Council of Business Deans (ABDC) 2010 journal rankings (A*, A, B, C in order of declining quality) in the Assessment folder in Blackboard. o Examples of UNacceptable references include:  Wikipedia; Investopedia; Webpages; Lecture notes…  You MUST use the Harvard system of referencing. For further information on the Harvard system of referencing please refer to: o Fleet, W., Summer, J. & Smith, B. 2006, Communication Skills Handbook for Accounting, John Wiley & Sons Australia, Milton, Queensland. o